Hi, my name is Stella Chong. I am the owner of a sweet 6-year-old Dogue de Bordeaux (French Mastiff) named Rosie aka Rose, Rosebaby, RoRo, Rosebud, Rosalinda, Baby.

 

In early April of this year, Rosie began limping on her left hind leg as she walked around our home and backyard. Her left knee felt hot to the touch, and she would wince when I tried to bend her leg. I observed Rosie's condition for April, hoping that her limp would go away. However, Rosie's limp did not go away and worsened as the weeks went by. Rosie went to her primary vet to get her limp checked, and her vet suspected that it might be a cranial cruciate ligament rupture, a degenerative joint condition that is common among many dogs, especially large breeds like Rosie. She was prescribed pain and inflammatory medication for two weeks, but her condition did not improve even with medication and limited activity. She would hop on her tripods and refuse to put her left paw on the floor, shifting all her weight onto the right foot and causing the right paw to turn outwards. With all the pain she was experiencing, Rosie would still wait at the window for hours until my parents came home and would race and jump to greet them.

 

On May 10, about two weeks since her primary vet visit, Rosie went to see an orthopedic surgeon at VERG. Rosie was confirmed to have a CCL rupture on her left hind leg. The surgeon informed us that the only way to treat and cure the CCL permanently would be to have a TPLO surgery. Otherwise, Rosie's untreated CCL would eventually lead to scarring tissue in the knee, painful rubbing of the knee bones, and permanent lameness on the left hind leg. The untreated CCL may also cause rapid onset of CCL in the other hind leg as well.

 

The total estimated cost of surgery and related medications is about $7000. Unfortunately, Rosie's health insurance will not cover the surgery cost. Earlier in March, Rosie also had surgery to treat her immediate heart condition, 3rd degree AV block, with the placement of a pacemaker. Rosie's cardiac condition is ongoing for the rest of her life, and she requires a visit to the cardiologist every 3-4 months and monthly medications. I have spent most of my funds on the cardiac surgery and Rosie's other medical expenses, including visits to her primary vet for routine check ups, gastrointestinal upsets and allergic reactions that have resulted in nail fungal infections.

 

Due to my financial circumstances, I am currently unable to cover the entirety of the surgery, and I would greatly appreciate donations of any amount. All the funds raised in this donation will go directly to the surgery and follow-up check-ups and medications. It is estimated that even with this CCL treated, Rosie may have a high chance of developing CCL in the other back leg (praying that will not happen), so any remaining funds will go towards that potential procedure in the future (90%) and donated to Best Friends  (10%). Of course, I will do my best to prevent that by keeping Rosie on a strict weight management plan. The surgery is scheduled to be on June 8.

 

Thank you all for reading this long post and sending warm vibes to Rosie. It's been a very tough year for her, having gone through heart surgery and now needing ortho surgery. Rosie has not gone on her favorite daily neighborhood walks for about two months already and she is only allowed to use the stairs twice a day to go to the backyard to do her business. It would be great to finally see her run and jump happily. It makes me sad and anxious to see Rosie limp and hop around every time she walks. I hope that Rosie can have a better quality of life once her leg is treated to enjoy walks, jump, and play chase again. Rosie is not just our family pet. She is my little fur sister and baby that I take care of every day. Rosie's unconditional love, especially during early in the pandemic, helped me heal from my depression and anxiety. Now that I work from home, Rosie is my companion, accompanying me every day while I work alone. I will continue to care for Rosie to ensure she is healthy and can spend many more years with us.

 

Thank you in advance for all your kind donations and warm wishes.

-Stella & Rosie with love <3 

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/uLsjwH0w7Ds
A walk with Rosie in January 2022 - all geared up with her snow boots and jacket. Really wish Rosie can recover asap so we can go on walks like this again and her walking with no limp.


Rosie in her lion costume for Halloween 2021. 
Rosie sitting on my back, looking out the window.


Rosie recovering from her pacemaker surgery in March 2022 before she started having a limp in April 2022.

https://youtube.com/shorts/9CiU9Dq_ZeA?feature=share
Rosie walking with left leg limping and lagging behind right leg in April 2022.